Not Because I Missed You
by suspensegirl
Summary: Post 2x09 - Maybe it was b/c he'd heard her story, maybe it was because he slept with a strange woman and it had felt odd, or maybe it was b/c he missed her & every time he saw Elena he had a flashback of when it had been Katherine that he loved.


A/N: My first DK fic. Be nice. I'm actually a shipper of all the DESK couples, and though right now I'm more SKDE than SEDK like I was last season, I still absolutely adore these two. It sucks that Damon basically meant nothing to her before. =( Anyways! This takes place right after the last episode. Damon goes to see her at the tomb, because seriously, these two do not get enough scenes. =( Just a oneshot. Please review. =)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

He didn't know what brought him there, but something did. Maybe it was the fact that Elena had told some of Katherine's history to Stefan and he'd carried it on to his brother. Maybe it was the fact that he'd just slept with a woman he'd hardly known just because he was lonely and trying to numb the pain, and for the first time in over one hundred years that seemed odd to him. Or maybe it was just because he missed her and every time he saw Elena it was like flashing back one hundred forty-six years to when he'd had Katherine and thought the love was mutual.

He was in love with _Elena_ now, he told himself, and he was. He truly was, even if he'd decided to ignore it for the sake of hers and his brother's happiness. But that didn't mean he was over Katherine, no matter how much he wanted to be. Since she'd come back he'd almost made love to her, killed her, spewed hate and love, been vulnerable, put up a wall. Only Katherine could accomplish such a feat in such a short amount of time.

"And here I thought I'd never see you again."

He heard her out of the darkness when he'd barely stepped into the clearing. The large boulder guarding the tomb was still braced to the side. She couldn't get out and he guessed Stefan had been too concerned with getting Elena home to double-think shutting Katherine's way out, should the impossibility of the spell being broken arise.

"No blood?" she asked, frowning mockingly at his empty hands. Her eyes lifted his face and a coy smile played on her lips. "Elena was far more kind."

"Elena wanted something from you. I don't."

"Oh?" she asked, folding her arms over each other across her chest. She leaned against the side of the opening. "Why come then? Surely you don't expect me to tell you that I love you."

He smirked. "I hate you now, Katherine. You are the devil incarnate—"

"I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Damon."

Whatever conflicting emotions he was feeling on the inside, none of it showed through to his cold smile. He couldn't speak for awhile, didn't know how to continue the conversation. He was overwhelmed by a sudden desire to touch her, but knew the idea was out of the question. There was a very strong possibility that she'd pull him into that tomb with her and then there was no saving anybody, _especially_ Elena. From what he'd heard from Stefan, nearly everyone that interacted with Elena regularly was in danger of being slaughtered because of this _Claus_.

"I never thought I could get _both_ Salvatore brothers to hate me," she contemplated aloud. His eyes flashed to her form leaning against the wall. Once again she'd managed to break into his thoughts. "Another accomplishment for me, I guess." The smirk remained plastered onto her face.

"Is it true?" he asked, walking towards her a little. She tilted her head by way of question, ever still in playful mode. "What you told Elena, is it true?" he asked, his voice rising.

"Calm down, tiger. The truth is going to remain the same whether I tell you right this second or some time next century."

"Katherine—"

She sighed, long and lingering and traced her fingers as far as her arm would reach upwards along the wall, slowly bringing it down beside her. "It was true," she said seductively, catching his eye again. "Why so interested?" He shrugged, taking a few steps in a diagonal direction. "Or wait, let me guess, you don't believe me."

He walked towards her, not really sure of his intent, but he stopped stock still when he saw the remnants of tears in her eyes. His gaze was then drawn to the ground where she stood. The book holding all of her family history lie closed there beside her feet.

"Everything you've ever told me was a lie." He looked up at her again. "Except when you told me you never loved me. That was the truth."

She frowned mockingly. "Oh, sorry, baby, was that a sore spot?" she teased. He returned the jest with a tight smile, torn mercilessly between wanting to strangle her and wanting to hold her in his arms. The brief words his disbelieving brother had shared with him suggested a painful pre-vampire life for Katerina Petrova.

"Do you have a heart, you selfish bitch?"

She only blinked and smiled. "Humans have hearts, Damon. Not vampires."

"But you love Stefan," he returned, pressing on. For some reason he needed answers from her, proof that maybe there was still something human in her even if she would not let herself believe it. Because she'd never been vulnerable with him. It was only he with her. He had always had his guard down until she'd denied any love and claimed what little she had for his brother, just like Elena. But something in him didn't want to hate her. Maybe that's why he had come tonight, out of his lonely shell to care for her. Because Stefan always saved Elena and she saved him right back. Katherine in her own twisted way wanted to save Stefan too. But no one was saving Katherine. No one could and that's why she was slicing everyone to pieces so she could save herself. That's why somewhere along the way she had stopped looking out for people, because none of those people could look out for her.

"I knew that still bothered you." She smirked. "Me checking up on him over the years. Me threatening Elena's life just so I could be with him…"

"It wasn't just that." He shook his head.

"No?" The coy glint was still in her eyes. "Well, you're right, of course," she said, admitting his assumption. "I would have needed her killed regardless, because she's my doppelganger and the only real solution to saving myself."

"That's what I hear…" he mused, close enough to touch her now. He leaned against the outside of the tomb wall.

"Daring of you." Her eyes ran up and down his form till she caught his gaze again. She looked at him with amusement. "Why did you come here now?" she asked, before they could go off onto a tangent about how under her control he still was, at least in her mind.

"To check on you," he said simply, watching her face for any sign of what she was thinking. He could find none. She was eyeing him as cautiously as she was him. "You know," he shrugged. "To see if you were still alive."

"Your excuse is extremely disappointing, Damon."

He smiled. "Who you are is really disappointing." He pushed himself off the wall and started walking away. Her brows furrowed and she actually felt a little angry. The desire to lunge at him and cause him some sort of pain, similar to what she'd done to Stefan when he'd told her he didn't love her, engulfed her. She had bite down on her tongue to keep from huffing her frustration. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but a couple times during the last couple weeks Damon had affected her and made her feel almost guilty. That feeling stabbed at her again.

He looked back at her once more before leaving the clearing at the entrance of the tomb.

"I don't know why I came here, Katherine."

The frustrating tension suddenly left her, but she could not make herself be playful with him. She was serious and listening to him, wanting to genuinely hear what he had to say and respond to it.

"But it wasn't because I missed you."

Her brows furrowed, confused. She hadn't expected that defense in the slightest. It sounded to her like a denial on his part, like he was trying to convince himself of something that was not true. If these were the words he was going to leave her with, she knew for sure she could use them against him when the time came. In fact, she could use this whole visit against him. It was very much to her advantage.

"Wasn't it?" she asked, dismissing the fact that she didn't sound playful anymore, not even a little. She saw a hint of a smile on him and suddenly felt very vulnerable. It wasn't – dare she say – the feeling of almost guilt that swallowed her whole this time. It was _hurt_. She felt _hurt_, from _Damon_. But she blinked away the feeling in an instant. The only person aside from herself that she cared for, even if it was just a little, was Stefan. Damon hadn't ever been more than a needy desirous fool she had slept with. That was all he'd ever been. The fact that he was no longer so naïve didn't change anything.

"No," he said, and she believed him. She broke eye contact with him and slid back further into the cave. He turned away from her and left, desiring nothing more than to erase the experience that he'd instigated himself. Because he hated her and she was trying to kill Elena. The possibility of slight sympathy he may have had for her was engulfed by that fury. No matter the cost of the passion he'd felt.

…

A/N: Thoughts? I think it's pretty good. Heheh.


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